We were sure we'd done a blog post about Donald Fagen's book Eminent Hipsters, but apparently not!
Well, not to worry, as there's some brand new news regarding that book coming here. Together with what we should've posted in that post that never was posted. Until now.
The book was mentioned in passing by Donald during Sunken Condos interviews late last year, but here are the facts:
Title: Eminent Hipsters
Publisher: Viking Adult
Publication date: October 22, 2013
176 pages.
ISBN 9780670025510
There's also an audio book version released by Penguin Audio on the same date. Five hours, four CD:s and read by Donald Fagen himself.
ISBN 9781611762198
Here's how the publisher presents the book and author:
A witty, revealing, sharply written work of memoir and criticism by the cofounder of Steely Dan
Musician and songwriter Donald Fagen presents a group of vivid set pieces in his entertaining debut as an author, from portraits of the cultural figures and currents that shaped him as a youth to an account of his college days and of life on the road.
Fagen begins by introducing the “eminent hipsters” that spoke to him as he was growing up in a bland New Jersey suburb in the early 1960s, among them Jean Shepherd, whose manic nightly broadcasts out of WOR-Radio “enthralled a generation of alienated young people”; Henry Mancini, whose swank, noirish soundtracks left their mark on him; and Mort Fega, the laid-back, knowledgeable all-night jazz man at WEVD who was like “the cool uncle you always wished you had.” He writes of how, coming of age during the paranoid Cold War era, one of his primary doors of escape became reading science fiction, and of his invigorating trips into New York City to hear jazz. “Class of ’69” recounts Fagen’s colorful, mind-expanding years at Bard College, the progressive school north of New York City, where he first met his future musical partner Walter Becker. “With the Dukes of September” offers a cranky, hilarious account of the ups and downs of a recent cross-country tour Fagen made with Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald, performing a program of old R&B and soul tunes as well as some of their own hits.
Acclaimed for the elaborate arrangements and jazz harmonies of his songs, Fagen proves himself a sophisticated writer with a very distinctive voice in this engaging book.
And the very latest is that Donald will do a short promo tour with five dates listed over at the Penguin Group's homepage:
* Tuesday, Oct 22 2013
Location: New York
BARNES & NOBLE
Upstairs at the Square, Pre-sign books, On stage Q&A
* Thursday, Oct 24 2013
Location: Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA FREE LIBRARY
Pre-sign books, On stage Q&A
* Tuesday, Oct 29 2013
Location: Washington
SIXTH & I
Pre-sign books, On stage Q&A
* Wednesday, Nov 06 2013
Location: San Francisco
BOOKSMITH
Pre-sign books, On stage Q&A
* Thursday, Nov 07 2013
Location: Seattle
TOWN HALL, SEATTLE
Pre-sign books, On stage Q&A
Click this link for more information!
And since a few of the texts appearing in the book have been up on donaldfagen.com in the past, the publication of this book is probably one reason that donaldfagen.com since a couple of months redirects to Donald's Facebook page.
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